Vasile Chiriţă, Honorary Member of the Academy of Medical Sciences, had an extensive teaching career at the Psychiatry Department of the “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iaşi, which he also led. He supervised over 30 completed doctoral theses, he served as a senior psychiatrist at the “Socola” Institute of Psychiatry in Iaşi, and he attended numerous advanced training courses across Europe and the USA. He was notably active in clinical studies, as main investigator. His impressive career also featured a rich scientific output, with over 380 publications, most in prestigious ISI and BDI-indexed journals, textbooks, monographs, and numerous chapters in specialized volumes published both in Romania and abroad. He edited the Treatise on Psychiatry, the 1st Edition (2002) and the 2nd Edition (2009), for which he was awarded the “Petre Brânzei” Prize by the Academy of Romanian Scientists.
He was a member of many scientific societies and professional associations, both national and international: President of the Romanian Psychiatric Association (1999-2003), Member of the Senate of the “Grigore T. Popa” UMPh, Iaşi (2004-2008), Expert Evaluator for “Scientific Competence and Conduct in Research Evaluation in University Education” – certified by CNCSIS (2001), Member of CNATDCU – Medicine (2004‑2006), Vice President of the Society of Physicians and Naturalists Iaşi (1998-2000), and Vice President of the Romanian Society of Biological Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology. He was the founder and coordinator of the Psychiatric Nursing Center Fracaritatis Iaşi and of the community assistance program “Protected housing for the mentally ill.” As Editor-in-Chief of the Bulletin of Integrative Psychiatry, he restored the former value and brilliance of this journal.
Professor Vasile Chiriţă served as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iaşi (2000-2004) and Vice Rector of the “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iaşi (2004-2006). He received numerous awards in recognition of his outstanding professional merits, including the “Eduard Pamfil” Excellence Award from the Romanian Psychiatric Association (2001), a Diploma from Universidad Argentina John F. Kennedy (2002), the “Sanitary Merit” Order in the rank of Officer (2003), the Diploma of the Constitutional Assembly of the World Association of Clubs of Alcoholics in Treatment (2007), and the “Petre Brânzei” Prize from the Academy of Romanian Scientists for the Treatise on Psychiatry (2009).
Prof. Chiriţă’s entire professional journey paralleled the history of Romanian psychiatry and of the “Socola” School of Psychiatry over the last half century. He was a worthy disciple of Professor Petre Brânzei, the creator of the biopsychosocial concept, which guided his entire career. Professor Chiriţă sought to instil this complex approach to psychiatric patients’ care in all his disciples, dedicating his entire professional life to mental health and to the quality of life of psychiatric patients, always believing in utilizing all their resources to achieve a life as close to normal as possible.
Professor Chiriţă was not only an exceptional educator and physician, but also a person of rare erudition, an encyclopedia of history, literature and arts, a true reader, always open to discussing any topic, a curious spirit eager to learn. He was also a noble soul, beloved by colleagues, the entire academic community in Iaşi and beyond, as well as by his patients. He was a person with a special presence, possessing a remarkable ability to guide and share ideas.
An accomplished professional, refined psychiatrist, profound connoisseur of the human psyche and an erudite teacher, he will remain in our memories and hearts as a generous person, a wonderful storyteller and a good listener, always there to support those in need. His passing is a tremendous loss for both the academic and medical fields. May he rest in peace and his disciples should honor his memory and keep eternal gratitude towards him!